This invention relates generally to means for modularizing the construction of a custom fabricated beverage brewer for use in the making of coffee, tea, for heating water, and for related types of brewing, wherein the assembly can be easily fabricated from prefabricated components, the brewer being modified for differing uses, and can be easily serviced through the replacement of premanufactured parts such as require replacement during servicing.
There are a great number of beverage brewers, particularly of the coffee type, that have long been available upon the market. Examples of some of the earlier coffee making machines are shown in the United States patent to Bunn, No. Re. 25,663. Other earlier patents include those to the same inventor, under U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,034,417, 3,100,434, 3,793,935, 3,610,132, 3,593,650, 3,608,471, 3,450,024, 3,691,932, 3,385,201, 3,336,856, 3,220,334, 3,149,556, 2,551,219, 2,561,134, 3,425,337, 3,425,338, 3,369,477, and 3,959,502. Earlier patents to the same or other inventors upon related inventions are shown in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,771,432, 3,793,934, 3,736,155, 3,691,933, 3,608,471, 3,593,650, 3,385,201, 3,336,856, 3,220,334, 3,425,337, 3,369,477, and 3,425,338.
Most of the foregoing patents show early embodiments for coffee brewing devices wherein the hot water overflow, the cold water pour-in, or the siphoning type of coffee making principles were embodied within their respectively shown apparatuses.
Design patents relating to this technology include U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 274,029, 229,897, 239,756, 239,757, 241,219, 269,325, and 280,377.
Of more recent vintage are coffee brewing apparatus wherein controls for its operations such as through electronic means are shown. These are shown in such United States patents as to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,276, which is upon a cold water pour-in beverage apparatus. This is a type wherein cold water poured into its hot water tank displaces previously heated water, thereby allowing for the overflow of the hot water to its spray head assembly for brewing of coffee contained within a basket and for its dripping into its available decanter.
The United States patent to Daugherty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,552, shows another form of coffee making machine, wherein its cold water basin is integrally formed with the upper contiguous edge of the hot water tank, such that its basin mates with the upper edge of said tank in its assembly and location within the shown coffee making machine.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,981, to Stover, shows another form of beverage making machine with hot water faucet, wherein, in this particular instance, the hot water faucet draws its heated water directly from its hot water tank, thereby potentially giving rise to a miscalculation or disruption in the precise quantity of hot water delivered to its spray head assembly, during the coffee brewing process.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,775, to Daugherty, shows another variation upon a coffee making machine. In this particular instance, the hot water tank of this device is a one piece and integral, inverted L-shaped receptacle, having its cold water basin, and the hot water tank, formed as a single unit. Its cold water basin has an opening therein that mates with the top opening of its hot water tank. One of the problems associted with this type of device is that it does require and necessitate the inclusion of a vent tube, of the type as shown therein, in order to prevent the development of pressure, or a vacuum source, that can disrupt and designed operations for the machine during its coffee brewing process.
The patent to Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,139, shows a beverage making machine, and defines a combination of either an automatic or cold water pour-in brewing apparatus. It also incorporates various opening and closing valve means for regulating the flow of cold water through the cold water in line, and into the machine basin.
The patent to Daugherty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,757, shows a beverage brewing apparatus, which is basically upon the application of a bracket as mounted onto its tank cover, of the hot water reservoir, as disposed within the upper portion of its housing, with the bracket having a terminal block mounted upon it, and including a regulatable thermostat in combination with numerous conductors for providing electrical connection of the tank with its housing and electrical source.
The patent to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,155, shows another form of cold water pour-in beverage maker with blanket heater and bi-metallic thermostat, for regulating and controlling the heating of the water within its shown water tank.
The patent to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,933, discloses another form of automatic coffee brewer with liquid level sensor. A further patent to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,935, shows another form of automatic coffee maker with liquid level sensor nd siphon control.
Finally, the patent to Stover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,046, is upon a beverage brewing apparatus with constant temperature water reservoir. It includes a temperature sensing element, in the form of a thermistor, disposed within a hollow heat conductive tube that extends into its hot water tank, in order to provide temperature control of the water therein through a regulation of its heating element.